So I am obsessed with Kate Spade right now…massively obsessed! I have purses, watches, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, iPad covers, phone covers and more of hers (nothing retail of course because that would violate my budget savvy, deal and steal hunting core inner diva). Its a mix of the combination of bold colors, the unapologetic use of bold graphics and prints, and sophisticated take on whimsy that keeps drawing me back in. Its what I love as a designer and what I love as a fan of never growing up yet wanting to be adult all at the same time.

So when I got to thinking about this Christmas theme and since it was my year (husband got the rustic fun of last year), I already knew I wanted to do something more on the elegant, sophisticated side. I toyed around with the 12 Days of Christmas as a theme, and yes I am aware of Kate Spade’s partridge in a pear tree dinnerware. It was what I planned last year on doing this year. But as I started to fall in love with Kate Spade, before I hit obsessed level, I found myself drawn to the whimsy and beauty of her live colorfully branded and marketed items. It was, although on a slightly muted level, what I was trying to achieve in our living room makeover. Then, inspiration hit so to speak. That would be my theme this year. A Kate Spade Live Colorfully Christmas! (Now if I could just have an unlimited budget to buy a tree full of her ornaments…sigh…)

Doing the Insane, otherwise known as DIY, was my only option. Okay maybe not only, but definitely the more fun, creative and cost effective. A trip through Pinterest and Google gave me plenty of inspiration on what ornaments to create and décor to put out. What caught my eye first was a series of ornaments and décor from Kate Spade’s Woodland Park series. In the series of ornaments for Christmas, there was a nutcracker, reindeer and a Christmas tree. How adorable are they and yet such an awesome modern twist on the three. (So I also have baby on the brain and I couldn’t help but think that the reindeer, the giraffe, elephant, lion, cat and dog from the rest of the everyday portion of the series would make a super cute, super fun mobile…just not in ceramic.)

As much as I loved them, I kind of figured that there was no way I could find something similar but not too far off the mark that I could create my version of the Kate Spade Woodland Park ornaments. Well, I was wrong. Michaels had huge collection of ceramic do it yourself ornaments that were perfect bases for all my Kate Spade ornaments this year. And at $1.99 each, with a buy one get one sale and a 25% off coupon, they ended up a whopping $0.75 each. The didn’t have a reindeer or a nutcracker (I know, sad, right?) but they did have a snowman, star and bell and boy was I surprised they had an almost identical Christmas tree. I grabbed those and what else I needed to do all my DIY Christmas projects this year and left Michael’s with bags in my hands and a smile on my face.

Putting It All Together:

These Woodland Park recreations and inspired ornaments are actually pretty simple. Just a little time consuming so give yourself time if you are taking them on. Especially removing all the red ribbons. It started by painting the Christmas trees with solid white satin acrylic paint since they were exposed and unglazed porcelain. The paint acted as a barrier with the porcelain and gave it a sheen. I then painted the heads gold so they matched the rest of the lids on the other ornaments.

Next, I came up with a basic design I wanted on each. The bell, star and tree were pretty much no brainers but the snowman required some out of the box thinking. He didn’t have as much ornamentation as the nutcracker and I needed him to visually tie into the rest of the ornaments. Ultimately, he got a gold hat band with a black buckle, black eyes and buttons, a gold stylized nose and a gold decorative element on his side in the same fashion as the Kate Spade Woodland Park ornaments.

I have to admit, the next part took a leap of faith as I freehanded the graphics onto each ornament. On the tree and star, I started by free-handing the bells in the locations I wanted them. Then they and the bells were “scrolled” using the black oil paint pen.

Once they were dry, then I added the gold to the bells on the Christmas trees and stars.

The last thing to do was to attach a ribbon to each so they would hang. I selected multiple ribbon colors with colors selected from the graphics of Kate Spade’s Live Colorfully merchandise. A little slip knot at the top and all done! I told you it was super easy!